Do you make as much as the men you work with? How do you know? According to the Illinois Department of Labor, women are paid about 77 cents for every dollar a man makes doing the same or equivalent work. How does that grab you?
If it makes you want to raise your fist in the air in a Rosie the Riveter salute here’s two facts you ought to know:
- Employers are not required to tell you what your peers are making.
- You can be FIRED for asking a colleague what they’re being paid.
So how can you make sure you get what you deserve for your efforts – or, at least being paid as much as a man who does the same job? Here’s how:
1. Be Your Own Advocate. Find out what the appropriate wage is for your particular job and do your best to negotiate salary during the interview process or at review time. Be prepared to discuss your personal and professional strengths, your relevant experience and the success you have achieved both for yourself and your employers. Do NOT say you’ll claim discrimination if they don’t give you a raise. But do make it clear that you know your worth.
2. Become an Advocate for Others. Mentor younger or less experienced women and support them in the workplace. The more women allies you have, the more clout you all have in any given situation. (In fact, that’s one of the benefits of joining PWCC.)
3. Vote, Volunteer, and Contribute to Candidates who Support Equal Pay. Believe it or not, your vote – and your voice – count. Even a guy who talks about his wife as “the little woman” may be persuaded to vote for equal pay IF it’ll get them your vote.
4. Tell a Woman - In fact, tell EVERY woman you know - relatives, friends, and co-workers - about the wage gap. For that matter, tell all the men you know. Heck, tell total strangers if they seem interested! But speak up about the issue because the more visible it is, the more people are aware of it, the quicker changes will be made.
5. Join the Rally on Equal Pay Day, April 12th at Noon, in the Daley Center Plaza.
Women Employed (www.Womenemployed.org), the Illinois Federation of Business and Professional Women (IFBPW) (www.bpw-il.org), the American Association of University Women (AAUW) (www.aauw.org) and others are sponsoring this event as part of an international effort. Women’s groups around the world will be demonstrating at the same time to support equal pay for equal work.
So put this date on your calendar now! There’ll be terrific speakers discussing the wage gap and what you can do about it. And the chance to mix, mingle, and exchange business cards with pro-active professional women who support the cause.
But remember, we need a lot of high heels on the ground to make it clear we’re a force to be reckoned with. So please tell all your friends and co-workers and join us for this very special event. For more information contact: Barb Yong, attorney at Golan & Christie LLP at
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Barbara Yong has been an attorney for over 25 years and is a partner at Golan & Christie LLP (
www.golanchristie.com) where she practices in the areas of bankruptcy and commercial litigation. A powerful advocate for women’s rights generally and for equal pay specifically, Barbara is a frequent speaker on the topic of
The Wage Gap: Does it Exist and What Can we Do About It. She is a founding member of the Illinois Women Are Getting Even (WAGE ) Hub
(www.WAGEProject.org) which coordinates the activities of the WAGE project in Illinois.
A recent PWCC member, she belongs to AAUW (www.AAUW.org), LWV-IL
(www.lwvil.org) and IFBPW (
www.bpw-il.org) of which she is a Past State President. She is also a director of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) (
www.tmachicagomidwest.org) and a member of several bar associations.